Traveling Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal Day 2

After getting back from our tour around Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal, we settled back in to the village of Khuzhir for a while longer. One of the most appealing things about being on Olkhon Island is the fact that this place is deathly quiet but in a good way.

I knew that spending a few days here would be tranquil and a great place to unwind. The guesthouse we were staying in definitely had some personality to it as well. Since we had some difficulty finding an available guest house when we arrived, the place we found seemed to be our last-ditch effort. We had essentially stumbled onto it on the edge of town. It had nothing but a small sign attached out front on the gate, written in Russian that seem to represent a guesthouse of sorts. We never actually met the owner of the place but it must have been his buddy staying there that had led us to a room which was more of a cabin sitting by itself, separate from the main house.

Do you think they had enough firewood to last a couple of nights? On a side note, should I have been worried with the number of axes in use at this place? Take a look again, I count 5…

Small villages like Khuzhir on Olkhon Island, is similar to the mainland villages in Russia. All the homes seem to have a tall closed slat fence surrounding their entire house and property.

Some type of meat and potatoes with sauce – Wish I could remember the Russian translation but it was delicious

I don’t know if its more for security purposes or for privacy but rest assured, everyone has their home fortified with a fence surrounding the grounds similar to a moat surrounding around a castle. Ours was no exception either. Within the area were the main house, a number of smaller cabins as well as separate bathrooms and a detached sauna. If you’re ever in Russia, especially in a small village like this, you definitely want to try out an authentic sauna… also known as a Russian ‘Banya’. Of course, had you read my previous experience on this, you know that I got the full effect on a separate occasion!!

Locals told us there are about 100 wild horses on the island. From my vantage point here, I’d say this is nearly a third of them…

On one morning spent here on Olkhon Island, we walked to the edge of town that overlooked Lake Baikal. From this overlook, it is one of the most beautiful as well as one of the most photographed areas on the lake. The photo I took below is one you often see that represents Lake Baikal as well as Olkhon Island.

A very popular spot on Olkhon Island

Often times, you’ll see a few of the freshwater seals hanging out on the beach in the photos but one of the locals told me you have to travel north on the island in order to catch a glimpse of the seals. We ended up coming here for both the sunrise and the sunset. Situated behind me where I took that photo is one of the most spiritual places on the island. A place where many locals come for prayer as well as to tie on prayer flags to the poles lining the crest of the hill overlooking Lake Baikal.

Prayer flags on Olkhon Island

Standing there, amongst the prayer flags, overlooking a panorama view of Lake Baikal left me with a surreal feeling for the moment. It’s no wonder the locals consider the entire island as sacred. And when you are here you’ll quickly understand why with the peacefulness and untouched nature that surrounds you and the calm blue waters of Lake Baikal below. This place is just amazing.

While we were in town, we met several other travelers from all around the world. I just didn’t think I would run into so many travelers but I can understand why so many people are drawn here. Many of the travelers I ran into were met at Nikita’s homestead. I had mentioned this place previously on my first post and would recommend any travelers to Olkhon Island to stop by there even if only to eat. And should you come to Olkhon Island, allow yourself at least a couple of days. Be sure to take a trip to the northern end of the island but also allow yourself to take in the stillness of this place as it quiets your mind and returns you back to sanity. No doubt, it is an amazing place to travel to from Irkutsk and one that most never even know about…

An amazing walk through the Siberian forest on Olkhon Island

Getting to Olkhon Island:

The easiest (and most popular) way is to catch a bus from Irkutsk. There is only one bus station in Irkutsk and it will take about 4 to 5 hours to travel to the village of Khuzhir. Your other options are to either rent a car or hitchhike which will vary your travel time (in either direction)….

When to go to Olkhon Island:

The weather on Olkhon Island is similar to the rest of Siberia however temperatures on the island are a bit more mild due to the lake itself. If you can’t make it in the summer months I would definitely try to come before mid to late November.

What to bring to Olkhon Island:

Bring enough cash that you think you’ll need… and then some. I’m not implying its expensive on the island, only that I didn’t see an ATM anywhere on the island. That, plus the fact that I’m sure places likely won’t be accepting credit cards. WiFi will also be hard to come by so make plans accordingly.

The end of an amazing trip to Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal